Circuit-controller.



L. L. mum. CIRCUIT CONTROLLER. I APPLICATION FILED lUNE $3. 19'3- 1,138,808. I Patented May 11,1915.

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LEWIS L. TAT'UM, OE MILW'AUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOE T WEE QUTLEIR-HAMIEER- MFG. 66., 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCGNSIN, A GORPORATIONflF WZSCOI lSIN. I

CIRCUIT-CONTROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

recesses may in, 1915 Application filed June 13, 1813. Serial No, 773,57 l.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, Lewis L. TATUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county 'of Milwaukee and 'State of Wisconsin, have invent-eel new and useful Improvements in fllrcint-Gontrollers of which the following is a full, clear, eon

else, and exact description, reference losing had to the acconi, on inc: drawin "formin y a. s a

a part of this specification.

' trollers. lt has been found in practice, hoW- ever, that each of these types, while posses ing certainadvantages, has also certain ob jectionable features.

My invention has among its objects to pro vicle a controller which will embody the advantageous features of both the sliding and iibulment contactcontrollers and which at the same time, will materially overcome the usual disadvantages of each.

Another object is to provide a simple, durable and cllicient controller which will operate both as a sliding contact and abutment contactcontroller.

A further object is to provide such a controller which operates with a positive ahutincnt movement prior to sliding movement in either direction. v

Other objects and advantages vention will hereinafter appear.

For the purpose of more fully and clearly disclosing the nature and :ulvzmtages of my invention l shall clescribethe embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawing it being understood that the invention is susceptible of modification, in other forms.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a front elevation, of the controller; Fig.-

isan enlarged perspective View of the controller arm; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of a part of Fig. l.

The controller illustrated is of the solenoid operated type and particularly adapted of my into use as a rhcostat. It includes a series of contacts 1 mount-eel upon a, suitable supgorting panel 2, s cooperating contact? and a soienoiol i for opersting scill contact through the medium of its double pivoted arm The clouble pivoted arm comprises two sections 6 and 7. The section his fulcruinecl upon o'stncl Sprojecting from the panel The section 7 carries the contact 3 silfl is plunger 5 anti a swivelecl to the section 6. The arm moves about thopivotfi to slisle the contact 3 over the contacts 1 while the swivel connection between th'e sections 6 one 7 permits move ment of the contact 3-snhstantiel1y at right angles to its plane of sliding movemehc. This provides for both sliding and. abutment movement 0:? the contact 3 i \lative to the contacts 1.

- The swivel connection between the sections '6 end 7 may beef any preferrecl form. As

illnstroted', the section 7 is provided at one end with a tronsverseicyokc 10 which is swiveled upon s spindle 11 projecting from the end of the section 6, The spindle is shown as comprising screw threaded into the section 6. The spindle 11, it will he noted, extends substantially at right angles to the pin forming the pivot of the section 6. The section 7 of the arm and contact Shove a pivotal movement about the spindle ll to the extent. illustrated in dotted anti full lines,-.lfiig. 3. The full lines showthe scction 7 in aposition to cause engagement of contact 3 with contacts 1, while the, dotted lines show the arm in a position to separate the contact 'fl'Ol'Il the contacts L Themovement of the. contact '3 away from the contacts l is limited by a stop 12 on the yoke 1.0 which engages a cooperating stop 13 on the section 6 of the arm. The dotted line position of the section 7 of the arm is the normal position thereof. v A v The solenoid 4, through its plun 1', serves to rotate the contact 3 on both 0 its pivots 11 end 8. To this endsits plunger 5 is connected by a suitable device 15 ton crosspln 16 carried by the yoke of the section 7. Further, means are provided to causemcvement of the solenoicl plunger in either d rection to rock the contact 3 on its tively connected to the section 6 of the contachcarrying arm.

'l'fhe dasl1-pot li' opposes the upward move ment of the section 3 and in so doing periiormii a triple function: First, assuming the sliding movement of the latter until section 6 abuts a resilient stop 18.

The resilient stop 18 is arranged to be engaged and. compressed in thefinal P0514 tion of the contact 3 and under suchconditions maintains the desired pressure b'etween the contact 3 and the contacts 1 when the controller comes to rest and the dash-pot becomes inert.

The counter-balance 19 upon the return movement of the solenoid plungertcnds to perform the first above-described function of the dash-pot 17 when the controller arm is raised. it tends to maintain the section 6 oi the contact carrying arm in elevated po sition and thereby tends to resist the descent of said section until the contact 3 is first rocked on its pivot 11. by the weight of the solenoid plunger.

The operation of the controller, as will now be obvious, is as follows: Assume that the contact carrying arm is in the position shown in Fig. 1 and that the section 7 of said arm and the contact 3 are in the dotted line position, Fig. 3. ll? now the solenoid 4 be energized it will attract its plunger 5 thereby exerting a pull on the section 7 of 'the contact-carrying arm eccentric to its I been l'u'ought to rest.

pivot 1 Under these conditions, the section 7 is free to rock on' its pivot 11 while the dash-pot 17 opposes movement of the section 6 about its pivot. Accordingly the initial movement of the solenoid plunger will forcibly throw the contact 8 into abut- 'mcnt engagement with the lowermost contact 1. Contihued movement of the solenoid plunger will then move both sections 6 and? of the controller arm upwardly, thereby sliding the contact 3 over the con- .t'acts l successively. The cmuiter-prcssure of the dash-pot maintains the contact 3 in firm cugagomont with the contacts 1. during the aforesaid operation, while the resilient stop l8 maintains the desired pressure be tween the contacts after the controller has Assume now that the controller has been fully operated and that the solenoid is dciimu'glmd. Again the section 7 ol the contact carrying arm is free to rock upon its pivot ll while the descent masses of the arm 6 is opposed. by the counter-halance 19. Accordingly, the weight of the solenoid plunger when released first carries the contact 3 outwardly out of engagement with the contact 1, thereby breaking circuit 111 the same manner an abutn'icnt contact controller. llheleafter the weight of the solenoid plunger carries both sections of the contact carrying arm downwardly, maintaining the contact 3 out of engagement with the contacts 1 throughout the descent of said arm.

nected to said support to inherently tend to 'rendcr said movements of said contact progressive.

2. In a circuit controller, in combination,

a contact, a support therefor and means.

for operating said support to impart both an abutment and sliding movement to said contact, said means being mechanically connected to said support to inherently tend to ellect abutment movement of said contact prior to sliding movement thereof in either direction.

3. In a circuit controller, in combination, a plurality of stationary contacts, a cooperating movable contact operable with respect to certain of said stationary contacts as an abutment contact and with respect to others as a sliding contact and operating means for said movable contact inherently tending to eiiect said movements progressively.

Lin a circuit'controller, in. combination, a series of stationary contacts, a cooperating movable contact operable as an abutment contact with respect to the end contacts of said series and as a sliding contact with respect to the intermediate contacts of said series and operating means for said contact including mechanical means inherently tending to render said movements of said contact progressive with the almtmeut movement Preceding the sliding movement.

In a circuit controller, in combination, a contact movable both as an abutment contact and as a sliding contact and operating means for said contact including; n'iccl'ianical means inherently tending to render said movements of said contact progressive with the abutment movement preceding ti sliding movement in both directions.

6. in a circuit controller, combination,

assessea contact having both abutment and sliding movements and a single electromagnetic device nherently tending to'edect said movements of said contact progressively with its abutment movement preceding its sliding movement. i

'Z. In a'circuit controller, in combination; a contact movable both as a sliding and abutment contact and means opposing the sliding movement of said contact to cause the same to first move as an abutment con tact When subjected to an Operating force.

8. In a circuit controller, in combination, a contact movable both as a' sliding contact and as an abutment contact and means opposing the sliding movement of said contact in both directions to cause the same to first move as an abutment contact when subjected to an operating force 9. In a circuit controller, in combination, contact movable both as a sliding contact and as an abutment contact and a dash-pot opposing the sliding movement of said contact to cause it to first operate as an abutment contact.

l0. In a circuit controller, in combination, a series of stationary contacts, a cooperating movable contact member operable with respect to said stationary contacts both as a sliding contact and an abutment contact and means opposing the slidinginovement of said movable contact to cause it to first operate as an abutment contact and to forcibly hold the same in engagement with said stationary contacts during its sliding movement.

11- in a circuit controller, in combination, a contact movable both as an abutment 'contact and as a sliding contact, stationary contacts to be engaged thereby, a dash-pot opposing the sliding movement of saidmovable Contact to cause the same to first operate as an abutment contact and to forcibly hold the same in engagement With said stationary contacts during its sliding move,

ment. i i

12. In a circuit controller, in combination, a contact movable both as an abutment contact and. as a sliding contact, stationary contacts to be engaged thereby, a dash pot o'pposing the sliding, movement of said movable contact to cause the same to first operate as an abutment contact and to forcibly hold the same in engagement with said stdi tionary contact during its sliding movement and means for maintaining said forcible engagement when said movable contact is brought to rest. i

13. In a circuit controller, in combination, a contact having two pivotal movements, one forfsliding contact operation and the other for abutmentcontact operation and an operating member connected to said contact to inherentlv tend to first impart the latter pivotal movement thereto.

14. In a circuit controller, in combination, a series of stationary contacts, a cooperating movable contact operable as an abutment contact with respect to the end contacts of said series and as a sliding contact with respect to the intermediate contacts of said series and an operating member movable in a single direction to eil'ect both movements of said movable member.

15. In a circuit controller, in combination,

a contact movable as an abutment contact said support as an abutment contact and 0a the pivot of said arm as a sliding contact and an operating member for said support and said arm connected to the former "to inherently tend to first operate said contact as an abutment contact;

17. In a circuit controller, in combination, a pivoted arm, a contact support pivoted to said arm, a contact secured to said support, said contact being movable onthe pivot of said support as an abutment contact and on the pivot of said arm as a sliding contact and an operating member for said support andsaid arm connected to the former to in hererntly tend to first operate said contact as an abutment contact, and means retarding the movement of said arm to insure the said sequence of operation.

18, In a circuit controller, in combination, a pi'votcd arm, a contact support pivoted to said arm, a contact on said support, said contact being movable as an abutment contact on the pivot-of said support and as a sliding contact on the pivot of said arm and an operating solenoid having its plunger connected to said contact support to reflect both of said movements of said contact.

19. In a circuit controller, incombination, a pivoted arm, a contact support pivoted to said arm, a contact on said support, said contact beingmovable -as an abutment contact on the pivot of said support and as a sliding contact on the pivot of said arm and an op erating solenoid having its plunger connected to said contact support to ailect both of said movements of said contact, and H means for retarding thmmovement of said arm to cause said contact to be first operated as an abutmentcontact.

[20. In a circuit controller, in combination, a pivot arm, a contact support pivoted thereto, a contact on said support, said contact bepivctoi said suppert and as a sliding con- -ing movable as an abutment contact on the saidpontact suppom a dash-pot cennected tact bathe pivot of said am, an bpamting scribed my name in the presence of two Witsolenoicihaving its plunger connected to messes.

LEWIS L. TATUM. to said arm and limiting means for mid Witnesses:

FRANK H. HUBBARD, In witness whereof, I have herehnto sub- J. L JOHNSON. 

